Collapsible or extensible table



3, 1964 w. P. HUDDLESTON 3,123,022

I COLLAPSIBLE OR EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM P. HUDDLESTON BY g Q ATTORNEY March 3, 1964 w. P. HUDDLESTON 3,123,022

COLLAPSIBLE OR EXTENSIBLE TABLE Filed Aug. 23, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM P. HUDDLESTON Byg ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,123,922 COLLAPSELE 0R EXTENSELE TABLE William P. Huddleston, 2201 NE. 33rd Ave, Fort Lander-dale, Fla. Filed Aug. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 218,994 1 Qiaim. (11. 108-129) This invention relates to collapsible tables of the type generally proportioned in accordance with conventional card or bridge tables and has particular reference to a table having pairs of legs at opposite sides of the table and with the legs on each of the opposite sides being so constructed that the legs may be extended outwardly a predetermined distance to constitute supports for each corner of the table.

The invention contemplates collapsible legs that are adapted to be folded inwardly for disposal under the table and also to be swingably supported to dispose the legs in table supporting position and with the pair of legs at each opposite side being rotatably supported within a tubular housing that is fixed to the underside of the table and locked in the collapsed position and, when the legs are swung to table supporting position, to lock the legs in the extended or table supporting position and with each pair of legs at the two opposite sides being independently controlled with respect to the housing and locked in the extended position.

The invention further contemplates a collapsible table structure wherein a pair of supporting legs are disposed at two opposite sides of the table and with the legs being extendable outwardly from the housing to support the table for such uses as a hospital bed table and with the extension of the legs being such as to permit the engagement of the table over a bed, the extension being such as to permit the legs to have adequate clearance with respect to the sides of a bed.

The invention further comprises legs having telescopic extensions whereby the table may be supported at a desired elevation with respect to a bed and with means to yieldably support the telescopic members so as to increase or decrease the elevation of the table top. Means are provided to limit the extensive movement of the legs and to latch the legs in the table supporting position and with each leg in each pair being of generally L-shape and with the upper arm of each leg being disposed within a common tubular housing in axial alignment. The device has particular adaptation as a conventional bridge table or as an extended support to permit the use of the device with respect to beds in hospitals, nursing homes and various other uses and, as before stated, the legs are telescopic to permit the elevation of the table for use in connection with the beds or for other purposes.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a table constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the legs in an extended position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary underside plan view of one marginal portion of the table;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on line 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the 3 are of degrees.

3,123,022 Ce Patented Mar. 3, 1964 upper arm of one leg illustrating control slots formed therein;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken on line 6-6;

FIGURE 7 is an underside plan view of the table with the legs in the collapsed position; and

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary section through the lower end of one supporting leg and its associated telescopic leg extension.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been illustrated a generally square or rectangular table top 5. The table top may be of any desirable construction, embodying a top section 6 and peripheral and relatively thick frame members 7. The frame members 7 at two opposite sides of the table are arcuately grooved at 8 for the fixed reception of tubular housing 9. The housing 9 at the two opposite sides of the table are fixed within the groove 8 in any desirable manner, such as by fastening screws 1h. The table top and the frame member 7 may obviously be covered by any suitable plastic or textile covering, not shown.

Telescopic within each of the housings 9 from opposite ends are horizontal portions 11 of vertical leg portions 12. The leg portions 12 being tubular, are provided with lower telescopic extensions 13. The extensions 13 are provided with a plurality of apertures 14, adapted to successively engage detents 15 formed in the lower portion of the legs 12 and whereby the extensions may be held in any desirable position with respect to the desired elevation of the table. The extensions 13 are preferably provided with leg pads 16 through the medium of which, the extensions 13 may be extended or retracted. The upper arms 11 of the legs 12 are adapted to engage the housings 9 both telescopic and rotatable and as will be observed in FIGURE 7, the arms 11 are of such length as to be slightly spaced apart when in the fully recessed or collapsed position.

Means are provided to form a guide and limiting means for the extension of the legs, comprising a set screw 17, threaded through a bracket 18 that is fixed to the frame members 7 by screws 19. The screws 17 engage a slot 20 formed in the side of each arm 11 and constitute the means for guiding the leg to and from its fully recessed position to its fully extended position. The screw 17 may be completely removed, should it be desirable for the legs 12 and their arms 11 to be removed from the table. When the legs are to be swung downwardly, the screws 17 will engage an arcuate lateral slot' 22, such limiting the swinging of the legs to the table supporting position and permitting the legs to swing in an This swinging movement of the legs is done prior to the extension of the legs outwardly from the table 5. Thus, the screws. 17 function to limit the outward movement of the arms 11 and to permit the swinging of the legs 12.

Further, with respect to the extension of the legs 12 it has been fund desirable to provide an additional latching means that will function to prevent any flexing of the legs 12, both in the extended and recessed position, such comprising a finger actuated latch 23 that is pivotally supported at 24 upon suitable ears 25, carried by the housings 9. The latch 23 has a pointed end 26 that is adapted to extend through an opening 27 and to have a generally wedging action into an aperture 28 of the arm 11 when the arms are in the fully recessed position and with the point 26 engaging into the slot 21) when the legs 12 and their arms 11 are in the extended position. The latches 23, when engaging the apertures 28, prevent the legs 12 from falling downwardly when the legs 12 have been collapsed and in the position illustrated in FIGURE 7 but, when the legs are extended, the latches are released and the legs pulled outwardly and then the latch engages the slot 20 to additionally support the legs against flexing. Each of the extensions 13 may be provided with casters 29 so that when the table is in the extended position for a bed table, the device may be easily rolled to and from an overlying relation with respect to the bed. It may be found desirable to eliminate the casters 29 when the device is to be used as a conventional bridge table and in such use, the casters may be removed and supported in any desirable clips beneath the table, such not being illustrated.

In the use of the device, assuming that the table is in the position illustrated in FIGURE 7, with the legs in the collapsed and parallel position as shown, the latches 23 will engage the apertures 28 of each of the arms 11, preventing the arm from dropping downwardly when the table is moved to a position of storage. When the table is to be employed as a bridge table, each of the legs 12 are individually swung upwardly after releasing the latches 23 and when the table is to be used as a bridge table, the latches are reengaged into apertures 30, holding the legs in the supporting position against flexing. With the legs in the fully recessed position, they are naturally swung to a collapsed position, causing the screws 17 to engage the slot 22, permitting the rotation of the arms 11 to the collapsed position. With the legs swung to a 90 degree arc, the legs may then be shifted outwardly to the position illustrated, in FIGURE 1 and in such action, the latches are released and the arms 11 and their connected legs 12 moved outwardly and limited in the movement by the engagement of the screws 17 in the slot 20. In the fully extended position outwardly from the table, the latches 23 then engage into the slot 26, forming an additional means for preventing rotation of the arms 11, with the screws 17 engaging the end 21 of the slot. The device is now extended outwardly a distance that permits the legs 12 to clear the sides of the bed. The extensions 13 are then drawn outwardly and held by the detents 15 so as to provide adequate height for the table so that the table may then be disposed over the bed and over a patient in a bed. When the device is to be retracted, the latches are first released and the legs then shoved inwardly, causing the screws 17 to traverse the slot 20 to limit the inward movement and at the limit of movement inwardly, the latches are released from the slot 20 to engage either one of the apertures 28 or 30. With the screws 17 abutting the wall of the slot 22, the latches may be then released and the legs swung downwardly to the point illustrated in FIG- URE 7 and the latches then again released to engage the apertures 28, thus holding the legs against swinging movement.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A table structure of the character described having top, the frame members upon two opposite sides of the table being arcuately grooved, cylindrical housings fixed into the grooves, the housings being open at their oppo site ends, supporting leg devices for each corner of the table, the leg devices being L-shaped to constitute a supporting leg and a control arm, two leg devices at the two opposite sides of the table having their arms telescoping into the opposite ends of the housings in axial alignment and whereby each housing supports a pair of leg devices, each of the leg devices being rotatable in the housings whereby the leg devices may be swung from a nested position beneath the table to an upright table supporting position, the leg devices when in the table supporting position adapted to be shifted outwardly from the opposite two sides of the table and whereby the table may be supported over a bed, each of the legs having telescopic extensions and whereby the table position against swinging and means for guiding the legs to and from the position of extension and to limit the extension of the leg devices, each of the arms of the several leg devices being provided with elongated slots, a screw that engages through the housings and that enters the slots to constitute a guide for the arms when the legs are extended and to also limit the telescopic movement of the arms, the slot at one end terminating in a right angle slot and whereby to permit the leg devices to be swung to the collapsed or nested position when the arms have been fully telescoped, the said arms also being provided with apertures ninetydegrees apart and outwardly from the said slot for reception of the latch when the leg devices are in the nested position or in the table supporting position and whereby to prevent rotative movement of the arms, the said latches also engaging the slots when the leg devices are in the extended position, each leg device being controlled by a guide and limiting screw and a latch and so that each leg device is separately movable from the nested position to the table supporting position or extended to constitute a bed table, the said leg devices being latched in all positions of adjustment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,149 Moore Feb. 2, 1909 1,437,670 Mazoch Dec. 5, 1922 1,738,886 Gilbert Dec. 10, 1929 2,531,778 Merner Nov. 28, 1950 2,547,642 Heuser Apr. 3, 1951 2,667,391 Keal Jan. 26, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,089,849 France Mar. 22, 1955 

